Tile grinding machine



June 22, 1954 J. MASTRONE TILE GRINDING MACHINE Filed bet. 14, 1955 INVENTOR Patented June 22, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TILE GRINDING MACHINE Joseph Mastrone, Bridgeport, Conn.

Application October 14, 1953, Serial No. 386,056

Claims. (01. 51102) Thisinvention relates to portable machines for trimming and grinding the edges of tile components, particularly ceramic tiles and the like, used in building construction.

' An object of the invention is to provide an im: proved portable grinding machine which is so constructed and arranged that edges of ceramic tiles may be easily, quickly and conveniently trimmed or dressed, either square or on a bevel, after the tile has been roughly cut to shape by a glazers tool or other similar device.

' Another object of the invention is to provide an improved portable grinding machine as above set forth, wherein the edges of ceramic and like tiles may be quickly and easily ground. to have different shapes and contours.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved grinding machine as above set forth in combination with dust collecting means, wherein there is maximum accessibility at the working surface of the wheel and effective dust collection, especially when working on small, thin or narrow strips of tile.

. A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved tile grinding machine in accordance with the foregoing, wherein a minimum of adjustment is required when working with the various shapes and forms of tile normally encountered on a job.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of a tile grinding machine of the type having a tiltable tile rest in combination with simplified and dependable gauge means, which means are movable and operative with said tile rest for all straight or tilted positions of the latter.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved tile grinding machine in ac-. cordance with the foregoing, which is simple in construction, reliable in operation and economical to fabricate.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a front elevational view of the improved tile grinding machine of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the machine of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the gauge of the tile grinding machine in reversed position, for use with larger sizes of tiles.

i As shown, the improved tile-grinding machine of this invention comprises a base In having an upright stand I I provided with a horizontallyextending bearing sleeve l2 carrying a shaft or arbor I 3. The bearing l2 receives lubrication from an oil cup l4 disposed on the top of the stand H, and the shaft I3 carries at one end a drive pulley l5 and at the other end a grinding wheel I6.

In accordance with the present invention a novel and improved, combined tile rest, gauge and dust-collecting guard are adjustably mounted on the stand H to enable the edges of tiles used in building construction to be easily and quickly dressed or trimmed, or given various contours as desired. This novel assemblage comprises a supporting arm ll pivotally mounted on a lower portion of the stand ll, said arm being carried by a lug l8 projecting laterally from the stand and having an extremity I9 at right angles to the lug, engaging the arm [1 and secured thereto by an Allen screw 20.

The supporting arm I! extends forward and angularly upward from the lug I8 substantially in front of the grinding wheel l6, and at its upper extremity carries a tile rest 2| having the shape of a relatively long, narrow table with a flat surface 22. The tile rest 2| has a depending lug 23 receiving an Allen screw 24 by which it is pivotally mounted on the upper extremity of the supporting arm I! for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, such axis being parallel to the pivotal axis of the pivot screw 20.

The tile rest 2| is thus disposed immediately in front of the working face of the grinding wheel 16, and may be easily and quickly shifted either backward closer to the wheel or forward further from the wheel as desired, as by swinging the supporting arm H. In addition, the tile rest 2| may be tilted by swinging it about the pivot screw 24, either forward and further from the wheel IE or backward and closer to the wheel [6.

Further, in accordance with the invention, the tile rest 2! is provided with an advantageous gauge means which is movable with the tile rest and operative therewith regardless of the tile rest being in tilted or straight position. This gauge means comprises a slide including abar 25 secured to the tile rest and extending forward therefrom, and a collar 26 slidable on the bar 25 and held in position by a wing-screw 21. The collar 26 carries a gauge member 28 having tileengageable edges 29 and 30, the member 28 being offset from the collar 26 and spaced from the bar 25 to enable it to extend across the top of the tile rest 2| as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, for the purpose of gauging and grinding thin or narrow strips of tile.

The tile gauge comprising the collar 26 and member 28 may be reversed on the bar 25, to enable larger pieces of tile to. be guided, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The gauge means further constitutes a convenient method for tilting the tile rest 2|, since raising or lowering of the bar 25 and gauge member 28 obviously will be accompanied by corresponding tilting of the tile rest 2 1, provided that the pivot screw 20 is maintained tight and not allowed to yield.

In accordance with this invention the supporting arm I I mounts a dust guard SI for movement therewith, said guard comprising a cylindrical shell 32 having ends 33 and 34, said shell and ends enclosing the grinding wheel H5. The end 33 of the, guard has ahorizont'al'slot' 35' to clear the sleeve bearing l2, and the end 34' has a horizontal slot 36 opposite the slot 35, both said slots also providing clearance for tile workpieces supported on the tile rest 2|.

In its lower portion the dust guard 3l' has'a discharge passage 3'! connected wit-ha 'dustwbag138' whereby the particles of tile. ground.off.by. the wheel IE will be collected and-maybe disposed of.

The cylindrical shell 32 is providedwith; a mounting lug 39 in its front portion, having a slot 40 receiving anAllen screwM which-isrthreaded into, the. supportingarm. ll intermediate the endsof.the.latter,..and the dust guard 3| is thus adiustably mounted onthe arm ll.

.Bythe above organization the relative positions ofthe grinding wheel 55,. tile rest. 21 and dust guard'3l may be easily and conveniently varied to. provide the. proper spacing of the wheel and rest, together with the maximum collection of dust andmaximum: accessibility to the working face of thevwheel.

I .Inthe operationof the device, tileswhichhave been previously roughly cut to size, as by-a glazersstoolz or the like, may have their edges trimmedismooth, or beveled, or given var-ious'contolursras desired; by placing thetiles on the tile rest 2| and advancing the surfaces-to-be dressed against the-working face of the wheel !5 If -the dressingsis to. be' along a straight edge, the gauge member 28 may be brought'in engagement with the opposite .edgeof'the tile, thereby to provide a guide for insuring uniformity of cut. opposite bevels may'be provided .on edges of tiles by either tilting the tile rest 2! forwardorbackward, or else-by turning upside dGWIlzthB tileon the tile rest'while-it is fixed in onetilted-position.

' Variations and 'modifications may be' made within the' scope ofs the claims and portions of the improvementsrmay' be used without others;

Ifclaim:

- 1.2Atmachin'efor -grinding edges oftiles used in-building; construction, comprising an upright stand; a" grinding wheel rotatably mounted; on the stand'forrotation about a horizontal. axis; a

supporting arm: :means mounting the supportingon" the stand at a point below theigrinding wheel for pivotal movement about a" horizontal axis; said arin'norrnally extending .forward and: upward tc' positionfits upper: end rat' a'location, in" front of said wheel; and being swingablefor wardor "backward about said imounting means;- attile restymeans: mounting the tile reston said uppei endof the supporting arm for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis parallel with the axis of the first-named mounting means,- said tile-rest being positioned in front of-the grinding wheel and being tiltable forward orbackwardwindependently of movement of the supporting and a slidable gauge carried. by said tile rest for engagement with anedge of a tile heldon said; rest, said gaugebeing adjustably movable toward and away-fromthetile rest and beingadapted .to. guide artile supportedby. said res-t while another edgeof the. tile is being ground,

said tile rest having a generally flat. upper surfaceandsaid gauge comprising a slide. structure secured to :the. tile rest and extending forward therefrom and further comprising a tile-engaging member carriedby the slide structure and disposed above the plane of the top surface hf with the tile whereby a larger range of tile sizes the tile rest, said slide structure enabling the tile-engaging member to be shifted across the top surface of the tile rest for the purpose of gauging narrow strips of tile.

2. ,The invention as definedinoleum 1 in which the slide structure comprises a loan secured to the tile rest and a collar slidable on the bar and :secured to the tile-engaging member, said collar and. member being reversible on the bar to present ad'ifierent gauging edge for engagement may be accommodated on the tile rest.

3; A'machine' for grinding edges of tiles used inibuilding construction, comprising a stand; a grinding wheel rotatably mounted on the stand for rotation. aboutahorizontal axis; a supporting arm 7 means mounting "the. supporting. arm on'the stand at a point belowthe grinding wheel. for pivotal movement aboutahorizontal axis. said armnormally extending'forward. and..upward to a positionwherein .its upper endis lo.- cated 'at the. front of. said wheel, and being ad'- justably. movable either. forward or backward with respect to said Wheelya tile. rest; means mountingthe tile rest on said upper end of the supporting arm for pivotal movementabouta horizontal axis parallel Withlthe. axis of the firstnamed'mounting means, said Itile rest being positioned in front of the grindingwheel and being tiltable forward or backwardindependently of the adjusting movement of .the supporting arm; gauge carried by said tilerrest for engagement with. an edge of a tile held on, said rest,gsaid gauge being adj ustably movable toward and away from. the tile rest and beingadapted to guidea tile. supported. by said rest while another: edge of thetile is being; ground; and a dust collecting guard mounted on said supporting arm for adjustable movement therewith,. said. guard comprising an enclosure surrounding the grinding wheel, having an. opening at. its. front adjacent the tile-rest to expose the working surface of the wheel, the front portion of the guard moving further from the wheel as'the supporting arm is swung forward to movethe til'erest further from the wheel, and movingcloserto. the wheel as the supporting arm is swung backward to bring the tile resticloser to the wheel, thereby to provide both for effective dustcollection and accessibility to a tile when the'tile rest is close to. the wheel for supporting narrow strips .of tile. 4. The invention as defined in claim 32in which the'guard hasa cylindrical body and. a mounting bracket on the front portion .of. said body, engaging said supporting arm.

5. The invention as defined in claim 31in which the dust 'collecting'guard is a'djustably secured to the supportingarm whereby it may bedisposed .closer to .or furtherv from the. tile rest, enabling the spacingbetween the tile rest, dust guard and working face of .the wheel to be varied.

- References. Cited in. the ifileiof this patent 1 UNITED STATESTATENTS' l Number Name Date 436,156 Simpson Sept. 9, 1890 1,119,196 Siebert' .1 Dec; 1;; 1914 1,756,710 Tuttle Apr? 2911930 1,989,835 Weishampel 'F'eb. 5, 1935 2,288,579 Anesi June 30, 1942- 2',34,7-,087 Deyarmond 1 -1 Apr: 18,1944 2,356,175 Olson et al Aug. 22, 194:4 2,411,609 Z'enick Nov. "26, 1946 2,570,302"

Anderson Got: 9, 1951 

